By Lauren Nicole Mariacher
Buffalo News
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — A shiny red fire engine was displayed at the Niagara Falls Fire Department Tuesday with the words “Dedicated in memory of Fire Capt. David Williams” inscribed in gold across the top.
Williams, who was injured in fighting the World Trade Center fire on Sept. 11, 2001, died June 6, 2007.
His friends, family, and fellow firefighters gathered in front of the fire house to honor their “brother” with the new engine No. 7.
“It’s fitting today that we dedicate this vehicle to an individual who I said gave so much of his life to not just the city of Niagara Falls, but also on that fateful day, Sept. 11, 2001, gave of his time, and gave of his strength, and gave of his effort to the people of the city of New York as well,” said Niagara Falls Fire Chief William D. MacKay.
Williams responded to the terrorist attacks with fellow Niagara Falls Fire Capt. John Asklar, who had joined Williams for mandatory supervisor training at the New York City Fire Academy.
The men arrived in Queens on Sept. 10, only to be deployed the next morning to the World Trade Center site following fire radio reports of the attacks.
“Every once and a while he would check in with us,” said Williams’ widow, Catherine. “Just to let us know where he was and what was going on because we would see things on TV and I didn’t know exactly where he was.”
On one occasion, Williams phoned his wife to tell her one of the smaller buildings around the towers was collapsing, and he was running from it.
But during most of his time spent in lower Manhattan from the morning of the attacks until Sept. 13, Williams was not running from the disaster zone, but directly toward it, just doing what he knew best — his job.
And it is stories of that dedication and courage that the veteran members of the fire department will share with their younger colleagues when asked about the man whose name is written across the top of the No. 7 truck.
“We are taking steps today to make sure that those new firefighters don’t forget where they came from,” said MacKay.
Niagara Falls Mayor Paul A. Dyster was at the dedication, praising first responders everywhere for their service.
“We should never, ever, ever take it for granted that we have people out there who serve us and are willing to put themselves in harm’s way under very uncertain circumstances,” he said.
Copyright 2010 The Buffalo News
All Rights Reserved